VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORIES IN DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES - THE CHALLENGE OF CREDIBILITY

The problems facing veterinary diagnostic laboratories in developing c ountries range from simple problems, such as limited funds to keep goo d personnel or obtain equipment, supplies, reagents or training, to th e more complex problems of designing and executing appropriate sample collection schemes for disease surveillance or evaluating the performa nce characteristics of a new diagnostic assay. While many developing c ountries are addressing these problems independently and a number of i nternational and national organisations provide various forms of exter nal support, the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) must contin ue in its critical role to provide guidelines for the most appropriate diagnostic assays for trade purposes and the development of the prima ry reference reagents for these assays. In addition, the OIE should ta ke the lead in development of quality management guidelines for veteri nary diagnostic testing laboratories. Without these guidelines and sta ndards, diagnostic laboratories in developing countries will have diff iculty in gaining the credibility necessary to help improve the positi ons of their countries in the international trade of livestock and liv estock commodities.